


Step by Step

by nanuk_dain



Series: Drift Compatible [30]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: M/M, PBC (Post-Breach-Collapse), Post-Movie, Team Hot Dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 21:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4035250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The future of the PPDC is one of the most urgent matters to take care of after Operation Pitfall. The UN is preying on their success, their purpose has suddenly dissolved and not only are almost all pilots out of commission, they don't have any Jaegers left, either. It's time for a new battle plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Step by Step

**Author's Note:**

> So, as promised, the next fic (this time without a five-month-break XD). It's very plotty, sorry for that, but we need to set up the PPDC's future, after all! And there's still some cuddling, so you'll get your share of smut ^^ . I hope you like the fic !

_Hong Kong Shatterdome, 15th January 2025_

 

It's probably the strangest place for an official meeting, but Herc was clear about how he wants all pilots along for the discussion. And since Raleigh is still bed bound, he just decided to have the meeting in Raleigh's room in the med bay. Coincidence has it that out of the ten Jaeger pilots, seven are still currently residing in the med bay in various stages of healing, so it seems like a reasonable decision.

Still, it's strange. Tendo is sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair with his tablet in his hand and can't help watching the rag-tag group of people assembled in the room. The most noticeable are Gottlieb and Geiszler, mostly due to their loud and constant bickering. Gottlieb is standing close to the door and the grip on his cane is very tight - which Tendo learned a long time ago is a sure sign that he wants to hit Newt. Strangely enough he never does give into the urge, though. There are bets going on about when he will finally cave. The pool has grown steadily over the years, and whoever the winner will be, they're going to be rich. Same goes for the bets on the question of whether they are a couple or not, and since when. Tendo oversees all of the bets and has placed his own wager a long time ago. Of course he does have the advantage of knowing Newton pretty well. They spend a lot of time together on making simulation scenarios, after all. And naming Kaiju.

That is also why Tendo has noticed that the dynamics between Gottlieb and Newt have changed ever since their drift with Baby Otachi. He can't quite put his finger on what it is, but something is different. He's going to keep an eye on them, make sure they don't do something stupid. Because for being such intelligent men, they can _both_ be remarkably stupid. He's watched them long enough to know.

When Tendo turns his head, his gaze falls on Raleigh who's sitting propped up in his bed, and Tendo still feels uneasy at the sight of all the tubes attached to him in several places. Well, it's only been a day since he woke up, and he's still in rather bad shape, but it reminds Tendo so much of the time right after Knifehead that it makes his stomach churn. He doesn't like thinking of it, of the empty look on Raleigh's face, of the feeling that there was nothing left of his friend, just a shell without any life in it, as if Yancy had taken Raleigh with him when he was ripped out of Gipsy's Conn-Pod. 

One look at Raleigh now tells him that things are different this time around, though. Raleigh seems tired and is obviously battered, but it's physical rather than mental, and that's good. Chuck is sitting next to Raleigh on the bed, making no effort at all to hide their relationship - it's not like there's anybody in this room who isn't aware of it, anyway. Chuck's boots are standing on the floor and his legs are stretched out on top of the sheets, and the hand of his bandaged right arm is casually holding Raleigh's as if they need a physical connection. Otherwise they are both sitting straight and paying attention to the events. 

It's still strange to see Chuck like this, so open and affectionate - at least when it concerns anybody other than Max. Who's currently curled up under Raleigh's bed, halfway hidden by Chuck's boots, not that Tendo is going to point that out to anybody. He's reasonably sure the nurses won't be pleased to find a dog in the med bay.

There's a second bed in the room, and it holds Cheung Wei. He woke up three days ago, but he's still some serious recovery time away from getting back to his feet. The head of his bed is elevated so he can see what's going on, but he's not ready yet to sit on his own. Tendo has visited him several times and always got hooked in a game of cards with him and his brothers. Hu and Jin are constantly camped out in Cheung's room, no matter that they each have their own. More than once has Tendo encountered Sasha and Aleksis in Cheung's room, too. He's not sure if they came for the game or out of boredom.

Right now, Hu is sitting in a wheelchair next to Cheung's bed because he not only has a broken leg, but his left arm is fractured in two spots, keeping him from using crutches like Jin does. In his case it's the right ankle, and he's sitting in the same kind of plastic chair as Tendo himself, one crutch leaning against the wall in his back. The other one has mysteriously made its way under Cheung's bed, and Hu looks all too innocent. For a moment Tendo is envious of Hu's comfortable looking wheelchair. He can't get over the fact that somebody in this world actually got paid for creating such uncomfortable plastic chairs as the one he's sitting in, and then managed to sell them in the hundreds to the PPDC. In Tendo's opinion, that person should be imprisoned for torture. Along with the person in the PPDC who agreed to buy them.

Next to the door, parked on another two of those torture chairs, are Sasha and Aleksis. His arm is in a cast that has multiple scribbles all over the formerly white surface, and Tendo knows it's mostly the Wei's handiwork because they made Aleksis pay for lost games with the right to embellish his cast. There's a prominent snowflake drawn on the part that covers the back of his hand, in a light blue marker with a dark blue outline, and Tendo has to hide a smile at the sight of it. He knows it's Sasha's work. Maybe it's an excuse for the black eye Aleksis is sporting, although it has turned a sickly shade of green by now. 

Sasha herself looks as badass as always with the laceration on her forehead, maybe even more so with the butterfly bandages that replaced the stark white dressing she had to wear the first few days. No doubt there will be a scar left, but Tendo knows her well enough to be sure Sasha doesn't mind. She'll make use of it to enhance her badass reputation, and she regards all of her scars as medals of honour for the service she provided for the world. In spite of the bruising and the small bandages that spread all over her body, she looks impeccable. Her bleached hair is neatly braided back and her lips are red with her favourite lipstick. Tendo smirks. It takes more than a Kaiju almost killing her to bring her down.

Tendo's musings are interrupted when Mako comes in and Raleigh waves her over. Her left arm is still in a sling, and it will be for a while, but she moves around as if she got used to the temporary restriction in her range of motion. She comes to stand next to the bed on Raleigh's side, a bit unsure of her place, until Raleigh reaches out to take hold of her wrist to pull her down so she's sitting on the edge of the bed. After a second or two she relaxes and gives both him and Chuck a smile. Tendo is amazed to see Chuck return it, even if it's just for a quick second. Things are really changing around here.

The only person who should be there but isn't is Marshal Pentecost. He's still in a coma, and for now Herc is taking over for him. No word was said about it, it's just how it is. Still, Tendo feels his absence strongly. Pentecost is the heart of the PPDC, the driving force behind it, and it feels wrong that he's not here to decide about its future now that the Kaiju are defeated. 

Herc comes in last with Caitlin Lightcap in tow, and he doesn't look much better than any of the other pilots. He is moving slower that he normally would and there's still a huge bandage covering the left side of his face. Tendo knows it's a gash from the express mode ejection of the escape pods, same as the broken arm and the concussion. Still, he's up and moving around after just one day in the med bay, and while he seems tired, he's also very obviously determined to get things going. Tendo and Mako have jointly decided to back him up the best they can and to take as much of the load of commanding the PPDC off his shoulders as possible. They appreciate his sense of duty, but they would rather not see him keel over because he overdid it. It's something Herc is prone to, so they'll keep a careful eye on him.

"I see everybody got the memo." Herc says when he closes the door behind him and makes his way over to the table under the TV that's mounted on the wall. He halfway sits and halfway leans against the table and takes a moment to look at all the people in the room. Caitlin smiles at Tendo and quietly sits down in the empty chair next to him. Tendo knows why she's here, he discussed a few things with her and Herc beforehand. 

"Let's start with the bad news." Herc continues after a moment, and the expression on his face darkens. "Ever since the closure of the Breach, the UN has been trying to regain control of the PPDC. I'm sure we all know that they want to take the credit for the success, and I'm also sure that nobody here is willing to let them dig their claws in after they not only abandoned us at a critical point, but actually shut us down in favour of the Wall of Life Programme." 

There are collective nods. There are most certainly no good feelings left for the UN after the way they treated the Jaeger Programme.

"Unfortunately, we also have no Jaegers left. Not to mention that the collapse of the Breach makes the PPDC as the last defence against the Kaiju superfluous. We've fulfilled our purpose, the world doesn't need us anymore."

"Well, that's not entirely correct." Newt chimes in, waving his hand to get Herc's attention. "The concept of the Breach is to allow the passage between the two dimensions. Now, we may have closed _this_ Breach, but that doesn't mean we're out of danger just yet."

"Meaning?" Herc gives him a stern look. This is obviously news to him. Tendo himself has already heard Newt and Hermann argue about it, but they never said anything specific. 

"The Precursors have a way of opening a dimensional rift from their world to ours, and we collapsed just _one_ of them. We didn't destroy their entire race, just this one stronghold, this one facility." Newton stops just long enough to take a breath, but before he can continue, Gottlieb is already speaking.

"It is a fact that they have been on Earth before, sir. They are capable of opening a Breach more than once, we know that, and there is a very high probability that there are other settlements of Precursors." Gottlieb makes sure to sound extra serious. "That means that they can rebuild their systems. It is even possible that they have other Kaiju creation facilities. If there is even just one Precursor left alive, they will open a new Breach, sir. There is no doubt about their determination. Abandoning the entire PPDC and the Jaeger programme would definitely be the wrong decision, sir."

Ever since Baby Otachi, Newton and Gottlieb have become the global experts on Kaiju because their drifts with them made them glimpse information others never were privy to. As far as Tendo knows, they're still writing reports about all the things they learned, trying to piece everything together between the two of them. They learned more than they realised at first, and there have been scientists from all over the world trying to get in contact with them. Tendo knows for a fact that Newton spend some time bragging about it. Said they were the rock stars of K-science now. Gottlieb had just snorted.

"Thank you, Dr Gottlieb, Dr Geiszler." Herc says and for a second he sounds just like Pentecost. He holds out a hand to Caitlin and she gets up and comes to stand next to him. "This is where one of the good news come in. Caitlin, do you want to take over?"

"We all know that we are in a bit of a difficult situation right now. We don't want the UN gaining control, but that also means that we won't get any money from them. We need to find another way to finance ourselves." Caitlin pushes her short blond hair back with the same useless and impatient gesture that Tendo remembers from the time he spent working with her on Kodiak Island. "There are civilian uses for the Jaeger system that we can offer. Not at the same scale, obviously, but the general system is very much an invention we can sell and make enough profit that we can finance the PPDC through it, without being dependent on an organisation like the UN. Any use of a drift-based system needs training, so we can offer to train pilots for the machines. We can have our academy running two sectors, one for the Rangers and one for civilian pilots that will operate the smaller robots, which will be equipped with a one-pilot system."

Tendo knew about this idea beforehand because he, Herc and Caitlin had come up with it last night. They'd spent a good deal of the evening discussing it while sitting in Pentecost's room with dinner trays from the mess next to them. Herc was stretched out on the bed, his hand always holding Pentecost's, much like Chuck and Raleigh seem unable to let go of each other. Tendo wonders if it's a perfect match thing or if it has to do with the fact that they've come so close to losing their partners, because he can't remember Herc ever being so physical with Pentecost before. 

"All civilian use of Jaegers has to be without any kind of weapon system. It's important that we don't allow the tech to be dragged into human-human war. That's not what it was built for, and I think we all agree that that's not what we fought for." Caitlin continues and her words get her affirmative nods form everybody.

"The most important thing is that we keep the Jaeger tech, especially their blueprints, out of government hands. And I mean _any_ government. That's my condition for agreeing to this venture." Herc says firmly. "Once the common enemy is gone long enough, the countries that originally gathered to defeat the Kaiju will turn against each other again, and we have to keep the Jaegers out of it. They will fight over ownership of the Jaegers, and they will want to use them in war. We have to keep that from happening. It's not the legacy of the PPDC. The Jaegers were built as a defence for humankind."

More nods. The closure of the Breach is still very recent and the casualties it took to get to this point are fresh in everybody's memory. The very idea that a Jaeger could be used to kill humans makes Tendo angry, but he's not innocent to the cruel ways of humans. He knows Herc and Caitlin are right, and it's good to see everybody in the room agree with them. He never doubted they would. Nobody was in the fight for the money or the glory, not the pilots assembled in this room. Money has lost its value to them a long time ago.

"There are many civilian uses for Jaeger tech that I can think of. It would be invaluable in construction." Raleigh says from his bed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Demolition as well. All kinds of tasks that need heavy lifting and strength as well as precision."

"Underwater usage, too, from drilling to salvage work. We have developed hulls that can withstand the pressure of the Marinas Trench, that will interest quite a few people." Mako offers, obviously already thinking about what needs to be done to make those new, smaller Jaegers work.

"Mining." Sasha throws in, and Tedo is relieved to hear her join the discussion. That means she's on board and he wasn't quite sure about that. She smirks, and there's a distinctive evil touch to it. "Prisons." 

Aleksis snorts and they share a look that Tendo doesn't even dare to interpret. Those Russians can be freaking scary.

"So, to summarize the key points, the Precursors are not defeated and we have to be ready for another dimensional bridge opening, somewhere on the planet, at some point." Herc states and looks at Newt and Gottlieb for confirmation. They both give a quick nod. "Meaning we have to keep the PPDC running, _and_ we have to make sure that it is independent from any government or organisation. Right now we have control of all Jaeger tech, and we need to keep it that way. We will start with the design and construction of a new Mark-series of Jaegers, and all the while we'll develop a one-person mini Jaeger and establish a new sector at the Academy to train the pilots." 

"But didn't the PPDC sell the Jaeger Academy and the Proving Grounds along with the Anchorage Shatterdome after its closure in October last year?" Newt asks with a frown and a gestures in the general direction of Raleigh, as if he's a representative of the Icebox.

"Almost." Herc chuckles.

"How can you 'almost' sell something?" Hu wonders aloud.

Tendo smirks and answers in Herc's stead. "Fact is that we never got down to signing the last papers because of the increased Kaiju attacks, which means that technically, the grounds were never sold. The buyer is still waiting for the paperwork."

"Which we have no intention of signing considering the new situation." Herc continues and nods at all of the Rangers. "Now this is where you come in. Not only will we need pilots for future Jaegers, but we definitely need instructors at the Academy, for both sectors, civilian and military."

"Sure thing. We're in." Cheung says from his bed, and his brothers nod in confirmation.

"It's not like we'd ever be satisfied piloting anything but a Jaeger after this." Chuck snorts and at the same time grins at Raleigh. Tendo admits that he kind of likes this Chuck better than grumpy jerk he was before Operation Pitfall.

"I also need your help." Caitlin looks at the Rangers with a hopeful expression. "I'll be heading the research for the new Pons while Miss Mori will be in charge of the teams working on the mecha's design and construction. We would like to recruit some of you as test pilots for the one-person system as well as for the new Jaegers. The last work done for a one-person system was abandoned in early 2015 because our focus was on making Jaegers work, which requited a two-pilot system. Now we're talking about entirely different dimensions, so I will return to the research and I'll need pilots to test the small mechas."

"There's no need to decide right now." Tendo says when she's finished. "We just wanted to let you know what we're looking at. Let us know what you'd like to do and we'll get it sorted."

"First of all we'll need to reactivate the Jaeger Academy and the Proving Grounds so that we can get the research and the training going, later we'll take care of the Icebox." Herc takes a look around the room. "Any questions?" 

"What about the press?" Sasha asks with a raised eyebrow. "They've been banging on the gates for two days."

"I'll take care of them for now." Herc's voice is firm, but he doesn't look too pleased about the prospect of having to confront the sensation-hungry journalists. "You just get better, we'll see what's going to happen when you're back on your feet. I have a meeting with Amanda James, our PR person, later today to discuss our dealing with the press."

When Tendo leaves the room a few minutes later, he feels highly motivated. Somehow this meeting has inspired him and replaced the wariness that comes from not knowing what the future brings, from thinking that the PPDC and therefore he himself have served their due and are superfluous. Now there's things to organise, new plans to set in motion and people to contact. He gets to work with gusto.

 

*** 

 

Herc is sitting in the remarkably uncomfortable chair next to the almost sterile bed where Stacker is lying, concentrating on the feeling of his presence in his mind and watching his chest rise and fall regularly on its own accord. The fingers of his left hand are entwined with Stacker's right, his gaze seldom straying from the motionless face. In his lap lies a tablet with paperwork he should be doing and reports he should be reading, but he hasn't touched it in half an hour.

He's filling Stacker's role as the PPDC's Marshal at the moment, although he made it clear that he doesn't intend to keep the job once Stacker is back on his feet and wants to return to his position. Nobody protested, but Herc knows many aren't as sure as he is that Stacker _will_ actually wake up. But then, they don't share this steady, strong ghost drift with Stacker that Herc feels in his mind all the time. Herc considers it a miracle that they're both here, still breathing and not missing any vital parts of their bodies, so he's not going to be disheartened by Stacker sleeping a bit longer.

The explosion of Striker's payload had not only deep fried the escape pods' electrical circuits, it had also caused massive structural damage. Herc had learned from Tendo that the retrieval crew called it a total miracle that the pods had made it to the surface at all and then managed to stay afloat for almost twenty-two hours before they were found. It was sheer luck that the weather had been good and the seas gentle, or they wouldn't have made it. The fishing boat's crew had reported that Herc's pod had a strong list due to a hole in the hull where it had taken on water for hours. It was fortunate that it had been by his feet, or he would have drowned while floating.

When it's almost three o'clock, his tablet chimes gently to remind him of the meeting with Amanda James, the PPDC's PR lady. Herc switches off the tablet with the paperwork that he hasn't really done and sighs. Time to get going to talk about the publicity the PPDC wants - and _needs_ \- to gain out of their victory over the Kaiju. Herc is not willing to let the press get their hands on any of his pilots yet, at least not until they have recovered enough from their injuries to decide whether they want to be in the public eye or not. And right now, neither the Kaidanovskys nor the Wei triplets nor Chuck and Raleigh are in any condition to face those sharks. 

Neither is Stacker.

As if that isn't enough, the UN is trying to get on board again to rake up 'their' share of the good press that saving the world brings, no matter that they decommissioned and abandoned the Jaeger Programme in favour of the joke that is the Wall of Life. They want to regain control of the PPDC again, but Herc refuses to let them dig in their claws and take credit for something they had no part in. The destruction of the Breach was the PPDC combined effort, not the UN's. 

Mako, who's for now acting as Herc's second in command together with Tendo, shares his point of view. In the past few days she has proven remarkably efficient in the political matters of their current situation. Just this morning Herc watched the video broadcast on the closure of the Breach that starred Mako as the PPDC's face, as the representative of all the other, mostly injured Rangers who were involved in the defence of Hong Kong and the attack on the Breach itself. She not only kept her cool, but also gave a highly trustworthy, strong and professional image of the PPDC. She's a natural for the press game, and Herc is glad to know her by his side.

Herc also heard from Tendo that it was Mako who dealt with the UN and other government representatives in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the Breach. Tendo had a proud yet amused smirk on his face when he told Herc about it. She has Stacker's sensibility for political machinations and shares his resolute position on certain matters. She's always polite but there's steel under her calm demeanour and she has a sense of authority around her that belies her age and that most senior politicians totally underestimate. At the same time she is authentic and trustworthy and somehow _real_ , which quickly made her the public's sweetheart, and that gives her word even more leverage. Herc is more than happy to let her handle those matters. He was never meant to be in politics for more than one reason. It's not his playground, it's Stacker's. 

Herc gets up, his tablet in his left hand while the right is quite useless in its cast. He leans in, touches his lips to Stacker's forehead in a gentle kiss and lingers for a moment or two before he straightens and makes his way over to the door. He doesn't like leaving Stacker alone, but he has duties to fulfil and he knows Stacker would frown at him if he ignored them for his sake.

On the way to his office Herc goes by Raleigh's room. When he peeks inside, he finds Chuck lying in the hospital bed with Raleigh, on top of the sheets and curled around him protectively, both of them fast asleep. Chuck has his nose buried in Raleigh hair and his arm is wrapped securely around Raleigh's waist. The white bandage is still covering Chuck's right arm, beginning at his hand and disappearing under the sleeve of his t-shirt. There are more tubes attached to Raleigh than there should be given that it's been two days, and the way Chuck holds him carefully shows clearly that he knows exactly where those tubes are and how not to come too close to them. To complete the picture, Max has claimed the spot in front of the bed next to Chuck's boots and lies there as if he's their most attentive watchdog. Only his soft snoring tells otherwise. Herc still can't help wondering how Chuck managed to get the nurses to allow Max in the med bay.

Herc smiles at the sight. Just a week ago he would never have expected to come across such an open display of affection from Chuck. He has changed a lot since that first drift with Raleigh. In a positive way. Stacker is right - they are good for each other.

Herc decides not to disturb their peaceful slumber, he knows they both need rest. Never mind that Chuck insists that he's fine, the fact that he's asleep in the middle of the day tells Herc that he's not back at a hundred percent. None of them is. For a moment Herc wishes that he could just curl up next to Stacker, pull him close and fall asleep just like Chuck and Raleigh. They look so comfortable, so at peace that he's a tiny bit envious that they can enjoy each other's closeness while he has to wrestle with the press. But that's the curse of being in charge. He'll just make do. 

Mako meets him in the elevator on the way to the Marshal's office. Herc is never quite sure how she manages to have such perfect timing, but he appreciates it. She's holding her tablet with one hand, the other arm is still in a sling, and she's wearing her PPDC uniform instead of her J-Tech overall. She's just as good as Stacker in maintaining a certain image, and dealing with press-related issues means that an impeccable appearance is essential. 

Herc himself hasn't bothered. He's wearing his usual clothes, his old Lucky Seven waistcoat over a henley and jeans, no uniform. He only does uniform - especially dress uniform - on official business, when he has to wear it. He hides a smirk thinking about Stacker's reaction to it. He loves seeing Herc in uniform, and he loves it even more to peel him out of it. It has been a kink ever since they first met, Stacker admitted to him a few years ago. Herc would have sworn that there'd been a blush to his cheeks.

Herc makes sure to banish all naughty thoughts to the very back of his mind before they get to the Marshal's office. They're inside for not even a minute before there's a knock on the door and Mako lets in a petite brunette woman wearing a well tailored, elegant costume. It's Amanda James, a middle aged Canadian who's been the PPDC's PR lady for almost as long as the Corps exist.

"Oh my, Marshal Hansen!" Amanda claps her hands over her mouth and her voice sounds shocked. Herc has to suppress a frown, he still doesn't like it when people call him 'Marshal'. It's Stacker's title, not his. But Mako and Tendo made it clear to him that he has to take it for the time being, it's necessary to keep things together. "Are you all right, sir?"

Only now does Herc remember that it's the first time they meet in person after Operation Pitfall. They've only been on the phone so far, and she hasn't seen him in all his bruised glory yet. The last time she saw him, he had still been whole and healthy.

Herc chuckles. "Don't worry, Amanda, I'm a bit banged up, but otherwise I'm fine."

She doesn't look entirely convinced and warily eyes the bandage covering the left side of his face. "Are you sure? You look like you belong in medical, not in the office. I'm sure I can hold off the press for another day or two."

Herc can't help smiling, because he knows she means it. She's the best PR person the PPDC could have asked for. "Thank you, Amanda, but apart from that broken arm, I'm really doing okay. Don't worry about the bandage, they're planning to replace it with butterfly bandages tomorrow, then I won't look like a mummy anymore."

She can't help chuckling but she still looks worried. "If you say so."

"So, what's the current situation? I heard the sharks are hungry for blood and circling our Shatterdome." Herc leans against Stacker's desk and motions for Amanda and Mako to have a seat in the two chairs in from of him. 

"Well, that description fits the situation quite well, sir." Amanda admits seriously. "You know that in the absence of truth, the press will report rumour. And the only bit of truth they've got from us so far is that first broadcast when Miss Mori declared the closure of the Breach. We need to give them more if we don't want them to fall in the UN's hands."

"Listen, Amanda, we can allow an interview tomorrow, once I get that bandage off my face." Herc offers because he knows that time is of the essence and every day they hesitate they offer the UN more room to spread their greedy tentacles. Amanda nods carefully, she knows that there's more coming.

"I will take the doubtful pleasure of getting grilled by the press, but my pilots remain out of the picture. No harassing them, that's my deal. I don't want those sharks eating them alive while they're still in a hospital bed and can't even defend themselves." Herc is serious about this. He knows they can't avoid the press forever, but he wants everybody in a reasonably good condition before they face the public.

"I can do that. The injuries are a good excuse to keep the press at bay for now. And since everybody is treated here in the Shatterdome, we can control who gets in and who doesn't." Amanda looks at him, her expression serious. "But you know that it won't work much longer, sir. We have to allow interviews at some point. I hate to say it, but the PPDC needs all the support it can get. And if we don't make a move, the UN will, and that's not a good thing for us."

"I know." Herc presses his lips into a thin line. "Still, I want my pilots to concentrate on getting better, and the press besieging them won't do them any good."

"I understand that, sir." Amanda nods slowly. "It's going to work for now. The press - heck, the entire world - is so curious about any first hand information that they will be satisfied by getting their hands on you as one of the active pilots of the mission. But it won't give us more than a few days of rest."

"They never stop, do they?" Herc asks with a heavy sigh.

"No, sir, I fear they don't." Amanda shakes her head slowly. "But their curiosity can actually play into our hands if we use it correctly. We need funding, and since we won't get it from the UN if we don't want to get under their control again, we need alternative revenues. This might help us securing those. I also suggest that we stage some kind of tour through the Pan Pacific Countries with the key participants of Operation Pitfall. Give it a fancy name and use it as a fundraiser as well as a way to get publicity and gain support." 

Herc doesn't like the idea, but he knows it's something they'll have to do. Their situation is getting better now that they have closed the Breach and have the world's gratitude served on a silver plate, but the PPDC is still financially weak and they will need funding to realise their planned business ventures. A publicity tour will open doors for them all over the world. Herc can't for the life of him imagine that any of his Rangers will be eager to go on such a promotional tour, though.

"Let's start with that interview tomorrow, and we'll see where we go from there." It's all the concession he's willing to make right now. He'll have to talk with the others about that tour before he'll sign off on it.

"If you and Miss Mori show up together, it will have an even greater impact." Amanda suggests and looks at Mako who nods in agreement. "You have been the face of the PPDC in the immediate aftermath of Operation Pitfall, so your word carries much weight."

"I will join in if the Marshal wishes it." Mako offers and both women look at Herc. 

"Yeah, it's a good idea. On top of that, the press seems to love you, Mako." Herc grins. "You're our secret weapon."

Mako chuckles. "I will do what I can, sir."

"Great." Amanda claps her hands together. "I will get things organised, then I'll let you know how it'll go off. I think it's a good idea to hold the press conference in the Jaeger bay, it'll drive the point home who actually closed the Breach. It'll strengthen our position."

"Agreed. But we will have tight security set up, I don't want any journalists sneaking off in the hopes of getting an exclusive interview with my Rangers." Herc already knows they'll be trying nevertheless. It's something of a self-fulfilling prophecy with journalists - you invite them to give them information, and if they don't get what they want, they'll just go looking for it themselves. He'll make sure they won't get very far.

"I will set up the necessary arrangements with the press, sir." Amanda gets up from her chair. "Let me know who's in charge of security and we'll coordinate things."

"I'll let you know later today." 

"Great." Amanda walks to the door and gives them a quick smile before she leaves. "See you later."

There's a moment of silence, and Herc just barely suppresses a sigh. He doesn't like having to deal with the press, and the idea of a promotional tour rubs him the wrong way.

"You know the tour is a good idea." Mako says quietly from where she's still sitting in the chair. It's kind of creepy that she knows exactly what he's thinking, but maybe it's just written all over his face.

"I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it." This time Herc does sigh and rubs his hands over his face, careful to avoid the bandage on the left side. He's tired and worn, his right arm is throbbing unpleasantly in its cast and the gash on his face hurts, not to mention that his body is sore all over. He's still black and blue, after all. He just wants to return to the med bay and fall asleep cuddled up against Stacker. He can't, though, there's still too much to do to call it a day.

There's a knock on the door and Tendo comes in, carrying a cup of coffee and a bagel. He gives Herc an appraising look. "You didn't have lunch, did you?"

"Forgot it." Herc feels a bit sheepish and shrugs as if in excuse. Mako sends him a look that is somehow chiding and worried at the same time. "All this press related stuff doesn't exactly boost to my appetite. "

"What's it about?" Tendo asks and forces the bagel in Herc's hand and sets the mug on the desk. As if on cue, Herc feels his stomach growl, so he doesn't resist. He has already noticed that Mako and Tendo have appointed themselves as his guardians, and he knows when fighting is useless. They're right, after all.

"A tour with the pilots of the attack." Mako explains.

"Ahh, promote the PPDC and gain some support on the way?"

"Pretty much." Herc takes a sip of the coffee, surprised to find it sweetened to his taste. "Mako and I will give a press conference tomorrow, and they'll grill us. I'm not looking forward to that."

"I can see why." Tendo makes a face and sends Herc and Mako a look of commiseration.

"We'll also have to allow interviews at some point." Herc elaborates between two sips of the very tasty coffee. It's annoying how he has to set down the bagel every time he wants to drink because he can't hold both with his right arm being useless in a cast. "And I mean all the participating pilots and key crew. It's going to be pure torture."

"Hmm. Maybe..." Tendo stops, he seems oddly hesitant.

"If you have any suggestions, Tendo, then spill." Herc says before he sets down the mug to take a bite of the bagel. It's a good one, with cream cheese, lettuce, ham and tomatoes, and Herc knows right away that Tendo must have used his connections to get something like this in the Shatterdome. He seems to have a network that makes it possible for him to get pretty much everything. Herc never asked about it, he's reasonably sure not everything going on is legal.

"I might have an idea how we can deal with this press issue with the least amount of discomfort for all involved. You know they want interviews with the pilots of the mission, and they won't give up until they get them."

Herc nods and finishes chewing. "Your suggestion?"

"Naomi Sokolov." Tendo says and Herc sees Mako's eyes widen in understanding. He just raises an eyebrow in question. The name seems familiar, but he can't quite place it.

"She's a freelance journalist. " Tendo elaborates. "I know her from way back when things started going to hell. She was supposed to write an article about 'Why we fight'." 

"Ah yes, that rings a bell." Herc nods slowly, careful not so spill the coffee. That's why he knows the name, he remembers Stacker talking about her back then. 

"She's good, Herc. And she'll accept our boundaries and will treat everybody with respect. We could give her exclusive access and thus not only avoid the invasion of our pilots' privacy, but also have an influence on what gets published. And we'd satisfy the public's thirst for knowledge and therefore ease the pressure on us." 

Herc sees Tendo's point, and it's a good one. They can't avoid the press forever, and this seems a far more comfortable way to deal with it than having a horde of journalists in the med bay grilling his Rangers. He also remembers that Stacker had a reasonably good opinion of Miss Sokolov, so it might be worth a shot. He glances at Mako, and she seems to approve of the idea as well.

"All right, contact her and let her know that she'll be given exclusive rights if she's willing to respect it when the pilots say 'no'." Herc says and hopes that it's the right decision. "And I want to talk to her beforehand. She'll also have to collaborate with Amanda James."

Tendo nods. "That should be fine, they know each other already."

"Even better. That'll make things easier." Herc takes another bite of the bagel and enjoys the way the cream cheese tastes not only rich, but also holds a touch of herbs. Yeah, this is definitely a bagel that required connections.

"I'll call her, let her know our conditions and see what I can set up." Tendo turns to leave.

"Tendo." Herc calls after him before he can disappear out of the door. When Tendo stops and turn around, Herc raises the half-eaten bagel in his hand. "Great bagel."

Tendo's grin stretches over his entire face. "Thanks, sir. I know where to get the best ones."

"I can tell." Herc smirk and continues eating, while Tendo leaves looking smug. Mako is only remotely trying to hide her smirk.

"So what's next on the schedule?" Herc asks when he's finished his food. He's still leaning against the desk and sips the rest of his coffee while Mako is checking her tablet. She has it resting on her knees so that she can operate it with one hand. Herc can't help finding it funny that he's unable to use his right hand and she's unable to use her left, and together they're running the PPDC. It's kind of ironic.

"We have a video conference with the UN in twenty minutes, sir." Mako says and it's only a tiny inflection in her voice, but Herc can tell that she's not expecting it to be pleasant. She's probably right. "Afterwards there's a meeting with Hawks Constructions, a potential buyer for our planned mini-Jaegers."

"Great." Herc says, setting down the now empty mug, and pushes away from the desk. "Let's get to work."

It's almost ten in the evening before Herc manages to retreat to the med bay. He's dead on his feet, not that he'd admit that to anybody but Stacker.

He brushes his teeth in the little en-suite bathroom - a difficult task with his right hand in a cast - and washes his face best he can with a bandage covering half of it, then he slips out of his boots and jeans and leaves them on the plastic chair next to the bed. When he slides underneath the sheets that are warm from Stacker's body heat, he sighs in utter contentment. He consciously relaxes all his muscles and melts against Stacker.

"I don't know how you put up with all of this every day, Stacks." Herc murmurs against Stacker's neck, not caring the least that he sounds like a petulant child. "You have to wake up real quick and take over for me, or I'll crack a fruity, I can promise you that."

He's not sure if it's his imagination, but it feels like there's amusement coming over the ghost drift. He's asleep before he can find out.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm always such a disappointed and sad little cookie when I get 200 click in a day but nobody wants to leave me even a few words... *puppy dog eyes* Please, make me a happy cookie ^_^


End file.
